Is there a formula for figuring out state sizes for a cartogram?

Mapper71

Posted 11 January 2012 - 03:06 PM

Mapper71

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Location:Everett, Washington

United States

Well the author for the maps I'm working on no longer wants a cartogram, per se, he now just wants the states to remain their regular shape, but get larger or smaller depending on the number of delegates for the dem and rep. parties. The delegates range from 22 to 611. How to I go about recalculating the states sizes with this info. I'm sure I can get a percentage somehow, it's just been so long since I've done it.

Posted 11 January 2012 - 03:13 PM

Well the author for the maps I'm working on no longer wants a cartogram, per se, he now just wants the states to remain their regular shape, but get larger or smaller depending on the number of delegates for the dem and rep. parties. The delegates range from 22 to 611. How to I go about recalculating the states sizes with this info. I'm sure I can get a percentage somehow, it's just been so long since I've done it.

Thanks!

Sounds like you'll want to to do a noncontiguous cartogram. There nay be some info at the indiemaps blog link below.

Dennis McClendon

Posted 12 January 2012 - 01:38 PM

Dennis McClendon

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I would just set up a spreadsheet to calculate how much to reduce each state shape in Illustrator. Don't forget that area is two-dimensional, so the reduction is the square root of the proportion, not the proportion itself.